I recently flew HEL-LHR-DAR in BA J. Had plenty of time at the airport but did not really mind as I thought I'd just kill the time time in the Finnair long-haul lounge. Well, I was wrong.

It turned out that because I did not fly AY long-haul, I was only allowed into the Gateway Fresh lounge (being a lowly Silver). I checked the lounge rules and the lounge staff were apparently right -- you cannot use the long-haul lounge if you fly any other airline than AY or are not OW Sapphire or Emerald.

To me, this is nonsense. I am flying long-haul J on an OW carrier and another OW carrier does not let me into their long-haul business lounge.

Is it just me or does anyone else think this should be changed?

Cheers,
T.

Both non-Schengen lounges are fairly small considering the amount of pax in the afernoon/early evening "Asian wave". In that sense I can understand AY restricts the use of the Long Haul lounge.

But then both Finnair and Finavia should have anticipated the traffic growth and started the present extension project earlier. Things could get quite bad in many regards for the non-Schengen area before the new terminal and lounge opens in 2009.

Both non-Schengen lounges are fairly small considering the amount of pax in the afernoon/early evening "Asian wave". In that sense I can understand AY restricts the use of the Long Haul lounge.

But then both Finnair and Finavia should have anticipated the traffic growth and started the present extension project earlier. Things could get quite bad in many regards for the non-Schengen area before the new terminal and lounge opens in 2009.

That's true, many times it's even hard to find a place to sit in Long haul lounge before the asian flights depart. Any other time of the day it is fine, but during the "Asian wave" I prefer to stay at the Schengen side and find less crowded lounge.

Ps. if anyone has info on the new non-Schengen lounges then please post in this thread. It would be nice to know if we finally get a sauna there? ;)